Mercedes he had a difficult 2022, with a new car that didn’t behave as expected and gave him quite a few headaches. But he was working out the issues as the dates went by and today he has a fighting chance Ferrari second place in the constructors’ championship Formula 1. And this Sunday (with Fox Sports television), he wants to take another step towards that goal and celebrate his first win of the season in the Brazilian Grand Prixpenultimate race on the calendar, in which its two drivers started together from the front row.
After a very positive training Friday, George Russell he won Saturday’s sprint race – the first time this year that the German team had stood on the top step of a podium – and earned the right to start first in the final. And for the sanction that he will have to respect Charles Sainzfinished second but penalized for using a sixth internal combustion engine, Lewis Hamiltonwho crossed the line in third position, moved up one place on the grid and started up front with his teammate.
“It’s crazy to think we’re both going to start from the front row,” said Russell after celebrating in the sprint, the last one on the calendar this season. “We’re in a luxury position where maybe we can split strategy and go for the win.”
Hamilton, a seven-time premier-class champion who received Brazilian citizenship this week, agrees: “It’s an extraordinary result. From there we should be able to work as a team. Hopefully we can keep our rivals behind.”
The work will not be easy for the British, because after them they are gone Max Verstappenwith the title secured for a couple of races, e Sergio Perezlooking for the runner-up, both with the Red Bull what were the strongest cars of this 2022.
The fifth started the first Ferrariwith charles leclerc behind the wheel. The Monegasque, third in the standings, just 6 points behind Czech, wants to turn the story on its head in a disastrous weekend, in which two rude mistakes by his team cost him dearly in the standings. His teammate, Sainz, started seventh.
The Italian team needs a victory in order not to endanger the second place in the constructors’ world championship, which already has a master (Red Bull), because Mercedes, with the units that Russell and Hamilton added in the sprint, was only behind 36 points in the standings, with two races to go (this Sunday and Abu Dhabi next weekend).
Source: Clarin
